The final episode of Agatha Christie’s Poirot has aired, though I doubt I’ll see it for many months, if not years. Netflix only has shows as recent as 1995 so far. LARB has a lengthy review of the series with many quotes from David Suchet, who has worked very hard to present the truest performances of Christie’s Poirot ever. Molly McArdle writes:
As a character, Poirot has had a curious shelf life. He certainly doesn’t have the name, or visual recognition that Holmes enjoys. He also lacks that detective’s cold elegance, the kind that drives even very reasonable people into gif-making hysterics. Still, Poirot’s appeal endures. Between 2004 and 2005, for instance, the anime series Agatha Christie’s Great Detectives Poirot and Marple had a 39-episode run in Japan. In its 25 years, Agatha Christie’s Poirot has been broadcast in 100 countries and dubbed into 80 languages.
A little trivia: Suchet played Inspector Japp in the CBS production of Thirteen at Dinner with Peter Ustinov as Poirot. Suchet says it was his worst performance ever, but it helped get him the part in the A&E series.
I’ve seen the TV movie where he played Japp. Truly surreal. Suchet is so brilliant in the part he should be studied by every aspiring actor. And he’s a confessed Christian.